Landrum Trial Underway

A larger than usual pool of potential jurors was called in for the trial of Michael Landrum.

"We sent out roughly 175 subpoenas and we had roughly a 100 show up this morning for jury duty," said Rusty Nichols, circuit clerk of Marengo County.

Those chosen will hear the case against Landrum, 44, the former University of Alabama quarterback who is now on trial for the murders of his three-year-old daughter Mikayla and her grandmother Ida Little, 52.

At the time of the murder, Little was keeping Mikayla while her mother was serving in Iraq.

On the morning of Aug. 21, 2003 the two were found shot to death on the floor of the grandmother's Linden home.

Jeffrey Napier of Lisman, Ala., who is now age 24, later confessed to the murders and in court said that Landrum promised to pay him $1,000 to kill the two.

According to Napier, the plot was so that Landrum could avoid paying a child support order for $484 a month for Mikayla.

While Napier was sentenced to life in prison in a plea agreement that called for him to testify against Landrum, Landrum himself now faces the death penalty.

"Every capital murder case is a difficult case and I certainly have concerns about my case, but I have a great deal of confidence that he'll be found not guilty in this case," said Dennis Knizley, Landrum's attorney.

"I don't have a lot of confidence in the criminal justice here now, but the scripture says those who believe in the Lord, he will come through for us," said Roosevelt Landrum, the defendant's brother.

According to court officials, the jury in this case will likely be sequestered. The trial could last as long as a week and a half.

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